President of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU), Komal Chand has lamented the sugar industry’s poor production performance over the past few years and GuySuCo’s financial predicament but he insists that a “co-operative effort could contribute to the industry’s return to sustainability in light of the favourable world sugar price.”
According to a press release from GAWU, the union’s president reiterated the view that with sugar production reaching a level of 300,000 tonnes and then continuing to climb, the industry can once again become sustainable.
He also spoke to the need for support and co-operation to rebuild the sugar industry. He added that in so doing it would be possible to resist strongly any act to privatize it. He called for workers to continue to defend their gains and stressed the importance of their unity in these times. The release said that he emphasized that the members must be wary of those who are misguiding them and seeking division of our ranks.
GAWU concluded its three-day 20th Delegates’ Congress held under the theme: “Promoting Workers Interests to Advance Economic and Social Development” on Tuesday at Bath Primary School, West Coast Berbice, with the assessment that its tasks have been accomplished, a GAWU press release stated.
It also noted that the participation of almost 500 delegates and observers of the union’s membership from its 14 bargaining units assured success in the overall proceedings.
The opening session was held at the Guyana International Conference Centre and the Business Session was convened at the Bath Primary School.
President Donald Ramotar spoke at the opening about the efforts of the Government to retain the industry as state-owned.
The release said that Congress also unanimously approved nine resolutions on Tax Reform, Local Government Elections, EU Accompanying Measures, Annual Production Incentive (API) and Weekly Production Incentive (WPI), the National Insurance Scheme (NIS), Education and Training, the Sugar Industry, Ex-Gratia Pension and Unity of the Working Class.
